Background of the Invention

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a card-ejection mechanism for a card socket, and more

particularly, to a card-ejection mechanism in a card connector for connecting a card to a

host system.

Description of the Prior Art

Mechanisms such as cam structure and heart-shaped cam structure are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,871,365 and 5,499,925. The previous mechanisms can achieve the function of locking and releasing positions to and fro, but the structures thereof are complicated, the manufacturing cost is higher, and the space occupied is greater.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide a card-ejection mechanism having a simplified structure which can be manufactured easily.

Summary of the Invention

In view of the disadvantages of the above conventional card-ejection mechanism, the present invention provides a card-ejection mechanism having a simplified structure which can be manufactured easily, to overcome the problems in the prior arts. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a card-ejection mechanism comprises: a sliding rail, having a protruding part, a push-end position, and a push-out position;

an ejector, mounted on the sliding rail and slideable between the push-end position and the push-out position of the sliding rail for ejecting a card; and a spring, for linking the ejector and providing an ejection spring force, wherein, when the ejector is pushed from the push-out position to the push-end position of the sliding rail, the ejector is hooked on the protruding part and thereby stretches the spring to generate an ejection spring force, and when the ejector is pushed again, the ejector is unhooked from the protruding part, and then slides back to the push- out position and ejects the inserted card by the ejection spring force.

The further features of the present invention can be understood through the following detailed description and brief description of the drawings.

Brief description of the drawings

Figs. Ia and Ib are schematic views of a card-ejection mechanism applied in a card connector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2a is a schematic view of the card-ejection mechanism according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2b is an exploded view of Fig. 2a;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a sliding rail according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 4 is a partial enlarged view of the card connector according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Reference Numerals of Elements

1 card connector

10 housing

101 top cover

102 bottom side

103 inner wall

20 card-ejection mechanism

201 sliding rail

202 ejector

2021 central line

2022 connection rod

2023 hole

203 spring

204 rod

2041 first end

2042 second end

205 spring band

206 push-end position

207 push-out position

208 protruding part

2081 groove

30 guiding plate

Detailed Description

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below. However, the present invention can be widely applied in embodiments other than that of the detailed description, and the scope of the present invention is not limited by the embodiment, but is defined by the appended claims.

Figs. Ia and Ib are schematic views of a card-ejection mechanism applied in a card connector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The card connector 1 includes a housing 10 and a card-ejection mechanism 20.

As shown in Figs. 2a and 2b, the present invention more particularly relates to a card- ejection mechanism 20, wherein the card-ejection mechanism 20 comprises a sliding rail 201, an ejector 202, and a spring 203. As shown in Fig. 3, the sliding rail 201 has a protruding part 208, a push-end position 206, and a push-out position 207. As shown in Fig. 4, the ejector 202 can be mounted on the sliding rail 201 and slideable between the push-end position 206 and the push-out position 207 of the sliding rail 201, for ejecting a card (not shown). The spring 203 is connected between the sliding rail 201 and a rod 204, and provides an ejection spring force. When the ejector 202 is pushed from the push-out position 207 to the push-end position 206 of the sliding rail 201, the ejector 202 is hooked on the protruding part 208 and thereby stretches the spring 203 to generate an ejection spring force, and when the ejector 202 is pushed again, the ejector 202 is unhooked from the protruding part 208, and then slides back to the push-out position 207 and ejects the inserted card by the ejection spring force.

As shown in Figs. Ia and Ib, the housing 10 includes a bottom side 102 and a top cover 101 for accommodating a card. According to the preferred embodiment, the card connector 1 is usually installed in the computer or system host computer (not shown), and coupled with a socket, and thereby can be linked with the computer or system host computer when a card is inserted into the card connector 1.

The bottom side 102 and top cover 101 of the housing 10 shown in Fig. Ia are made of metal material or other materials. Also as shown in Fig.lb, the housing has only a single side. Several holes are on the bottom side 102 and top cover 101 for sinking heat. The housing 10 has an inner wall 103 defining a groove for the insertion of a card. Also, the card connector 1 further comprises a guiding plate 30 for guiding a card to ensure that the card is properly inserted in the card connector 1.

Fig. 2a is a schematic view of the card-ejection mechanism according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2b is an exploded view of the component parts of the card-ejection mechanism 20. As shown in Figs. 2a and 2b, the ejector 202 is mounted on the sliding rail 201, and is slideable between two ends of the sliding rail 201. One end of the spring 203 is hooked on the ejector 202, and the other end of the spring

203 is connected to the housing 10 or the sliding rail 201 by a rod. Therefore, when the card is inserted in the housing 10 and pushed inwards along the inner wall 103 of the groove, the card pushes the connection rod 2022 of the ejector 202. Then, the ejector 202 is dragged and slides on the sliding rail 201 and thereby stretches the spring 203.

As shown in Fig. 3, the sliding rail 201 has a protruding part 208, a push-end position 206, and a push-out position 207. A groove 2081 is formed around the protruding part 208. The front end of the groove 2081 is V-shaped, or on the whole, roughly heart-shaped. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rod 204 shown in Fig. 2b has a first end 2041 coupled with a hole 2023 of the ejector 202 and a second end 2042 bent to be hook-shaped. The spring band 205 is used to press the rod 204, such that the second end 2042 can be forced against the sliding rail 201 for ensuring that the second end 2042 of the rod 204 remains in the groove 2081. As shown in Figs. 2a and 2b, the first end 2041 of the rod 204 extends through the hole 2023 of the ejector 202. The position of the hole 2023 in the ejector 202 is shown in Fig. 2b, and it is better that it deviates from the central line 2021 of the ejector 202, to ensure that the second end 2042 moves circularly around the protruding part 208 in the groove 2081.

Fig. 4 is a partial enlarged view of the card connector according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, for further illustrating the card-ejection mechanism of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 4, when the card is inserted in the card connector described in the preferred embodiment, the connection rod 2022 of the ejector 202 is pushed by the card, such that the ejector 202 slides on the sliding rail 201. When the card is pushed in, the rod 204 is pushed from the push-out position 207 to the push-end position 206 in the groove 2081. Then, the rod 204 slides into the V-shaped front end of the groove 2081. As the rod 204 is hooked on the V-shaped front end of the groove 2081, the ejector 202 is fixed at the rear end of the sliding rail 201. When the second end 2042 of the rod 204 is pushed away from the V-shaped front end of the groove 2081, the rod 204 returns back to the push-out position 207 in the groove 2081 in the direction shown in Fig. 4 by the restoring force of the spring 203. The ejector 202 also pushes out the inserted card due to the restoring force of the spring 203.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, by pushing the ejector 202 to and fro, the second end 2042 of the rod 204 can move circularly in the groove 2081. In other words, through the card-ejection mechanism disclosed in the present invention, cards can be displaced to the insert position or the remove position repeatedly via a single push action. The card-ejection mechanism described in the present invention is not limited to application in the card connector described in the embodiment, but can be applied in other embodiments.

The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and not used to limit the claims of the present invention. All equivalent variations or modifications performed without departing from the spirit disclosed in the present invention are within the following claims.